Tuesday, April 30, 2013

The Teamsters warned
investors today that Swift Transportation’s board of directors has allowed
its CEO Jerry Moyes to pledge nearly 25 percent of all outstanding shares as
collateral for personal loans—putting shareholders at risk. Citing “material
risks” and potential conflicts of interest associated with the pledged stock,
the country’s largest proxy voting advisor, ISS, is recommending shareholders
withhold votes from the five directors who serve on the Board’s Audit Committee
including the Independent Chairman of the Board.

“Allowing the company’s CEO and
controlling shareholder Jerry Moyes to gamble nearly
25 percent of Swift’s total outstanding shares as collateral for his personal
loans is indefensible,” said Ken Hall, Teamsters General
Secretary-Treasurer, who called
on the board to take immediate action. “It is
vital that this board exercise its independence and authority to protect the interests
of public shareholders.”Swift Transportation will hold its annual shareholders' meeting on May 8 in Phoenix, Ariz. The Teamsters Union will be there to demand that the board put a stop to Moyes' risky behavior.

In 2003, a
Teamster proposal calling for an independent chairman of the board at Swift
received majority support by outside investors after the Teamsters highlighted
the massive web of interlocking financial dealings between Swift and other
Moyes-owned businesses. At the time, founder Jerry Moyes served as Swift’s
Chairman of the Board, President and CEO.

In 2005,
Moyes paid $1.5 million to settle an SEC insider-trading investigation at Swift
and resigned from all of his leadership positions. He took the company private
in 2007 and then public again in 2010—this time with a dual-class stock
structure, providing himself 54.5 percent of the voting power for his 40.4
percent holdings of common stock.

“There needs
to be meaningful board oversight and management accountability at Swift,” Hall
said. “Someone needs to tell Jerry Moyes to stop using Swift’s corporate
coffers as his own personal piggy bank.”

Every year on May 1, workers
around the world celebrate the trials and triumphs of working people. This
year, May Day comes with a bold soundtrack thanks toTom Morello, the Nightwatchman.

WhileMay Dayis not a
national holiday like Labor Day, it celebrates workers across the globe. It began
in the United States in 1886 to commemorate the martyrs of the Haymarket riot
and the fight for the eight-hour workday. But what good is a working-class
holiday without good working-class music?

This year, Morello, the
pioneering guitarist behind the politically charged rock group Rage Against the
Machine, has partnered with the Teamsters to promote songs from his
union-inspired album, “Union Town.” He is giving away his music on the Teamster.org websitein honor of May Day 2013. Morello
has worked with the Teamsters in the past, performing at the 2011 Teamster rally in Los Angelesand the Teamster Conventionthat year.
Accompanying the May Day 2013 “Union Town” giveaway, the following Teamster
Nation interview with Morello gives us a look at his inspiration and insights
on music and the labor movement.

Question: Through your music
you've been involved in many different movements and social justice causes. But
you've been especially involved in labor and union activism. Why?

Morello: I come from a coal mining
family in central Illinois and unions were always a big part of the life and
fabric of the town. It was always ingrained in me from the time I was a little
kid that it's the solidarity of workers that is a crucial counterbalance to
corporate greed. And if we don't stand up together, we will certainly be taken
advantage of individually. I've been a member of Los Angeles [American
Federation of Musicians] Local 47 since 1989 and a member of Industrial Workers
of the World as well. I think in a time when the working class and unions are
being assailed in the United States, I do my best to fight back with my music.

Given
your labor upbringing, had you always aspired to dedicate an entire album to
labor and union songs or was that more inspired by recent events?

It
was more inspired by recent events. Some of the songs, specifically “Union Town,” were written in response to the labor uprising
in Madison, Wisconsin. “Union Town” is a combination of original compositions
of mine and classic labor songs that are set with a Rage Against the Machine
attitude – including “Solidarity Forever,”
Woody Guthrie's “This Land is Your Land,” and “I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night.” Since that music is
an important part of the history of labor struggle in this country, I wanted to
compile my own vision of labor songs with some of the union classics into one
cohesive record –
and then give it away!

Workers have been facing a tremendous corporate and
political assault in states around the country. Do you see any bright spots for
labor right now?

I
definitely see a lot of bright spots because despite this relentless one-sided
class war that the business elite have been carrying out against labor, we're
still here. Whether I'm playing at the anti-Wal-Mart rallies, at your Teamster
Convention a couple of years ago, or standing in the streets of Madison in the
freezing cold, you see there's still a labor movement that is very much alive
and well. It's certainly under assault and they're doing everything they can to
undermine our power. Corporate America wants to run roughshod over us and enact
their agenda without the rights of working people getting in the way. They want
to make the whole world into a Wal-Mart sweatshop and one thing that stands in
the way of that are unions like the Teamsters.

What do you think it's going to take to turn the tide
against the war on workers?

I think as workers we need to stand
together in these tough times. I've been a part of the Coalition of Immokolee
Workers to the janitors here in Los Angeles. My music has been a part of some
historic labor victories in this country. I don't want to paint too rosy a
picture because we are under a dire attack. But in times like these, the key
thing is solidarity. We have to remember that we're all in this together.

We also need stand by our
principles. One thing I see a lot is, in the name of getting the right
Democratic congressman in office, we'll sometimes compromise our core values.
Just look at the example of Wisconsin. The last thing in the world either political
party wanted was a working-class uprising in Wisconsin and they did everything
they could to head it off. One thing I want is a working-class uprising on a
national scale – on a global scale. That's what my songs are about. So I don't
think we should sell ourselves short. We should aim high and shoot for the
moon.

We've seen a lot of inspiring flashpoints of labor
struggle in recent years, including the Republic Windows and Doors factory
occupation, the protests in Wisconsin, the Verizon strike and the recent
Chicago teachers strike. But these are also defensive battles. Now workers at
Wal-Mart and fast food chains are going on the offensive by organizing and
striking. What do you think of the potential these new struggles have for
organized labor?

I
think it's crucial that, rather than just trying to barely hold as our rights
are slowly eroded, we recognize the correct strategy is to go on the offensive.
And it's really key to have each other's backs. Again, Madison is a good
example. There was an opportunity there to shut down much of lower Wisconsin,
demanding the governor's resignation and a 10-point workers' bill of rights.
Everybody from junior high school students to firefighters were in the capital.
We need to realize that we really are in this together. If one ship starts
sinking, the rest of us have to buoy it up. And if one of our ships starts to
turn the cannons on the enemy, we all have to turn our cannons at the enemy.

One of the things that struck a lot of people about the
protests in Madison was the amount of young people involved. While you do tend
to see more young people involved in campaigns against sweatshops and the like,
unions have really struggled to bring more youth into the labor movement as
active rank-and-file union members. How do you think that can be changed?

That
is something which I think we have to look at very hard. One thing to remember
about Madison is that it came on the heels of the Egyptian uprising in Cairo,
which was also a social media event. People across every age and ethnic group
halfway around the globe were standing up against a tyrannical power. Madison
was also the first big occupation, claiming the capital building – and it
predated the Occupy movement by some six months. That's important because I
think young people are drawn to bold action, not to politics as usual – not to
backroom deals in smoke-filled rooms with compromise politicians.

What Tahrir Square and Madison had
in common was old direct action against clear injustice and it galvanized
entire regions. And then it got diluted by politics as usual. The air got let out of that balloon and it wasn't because the
other side pushed back too hard. It was because our side was afraid of how big
that balloon might get. That's why I think the next time the historical
circumstances line up, we need to really take matters into our own hands and
have a real grassroots leadership.

You've picked May
Day as a day to give away some of your music on the Teamster website this year.
You sing about May Day in your song “A Wall Against
the Wind.” It's an
international working-class holiday that began in the U.S. and has been all but
forgotten. What's the significance of this day?

Well,
it wasn't forgotten. It was intentionally moved off of May 1 to disassociate
United States workers from workers around the globe. Part of the reason of
doing this record and giving it away on May Day is to re-educate people in this
country about the importance of May Day as a day that celebrates our struggles
and celebrates our victories. It celebrates the long history of people in this
country boldly standing up and sometimes sacrificing their lives for things
that we take for granted. Things like the weekend, the fact that children are
not working in coal mines, and the protections we have on the job. Those are
things they fought tooth and nail against and we only have them because of the
historic struggles of the labor movement. Hopefully future generations will be
able to look back at us and those coming after us as people who stood proudly
for rights that are unimaginable in these times – rights many don't even dream
of yet.

There's also been a resurgence of May Day actions in
recent years specifically because of immigrant rights protests. How do the
struggles of undocumented workers relate to the spirit of May Day?

A
good deal of the labor force now and throughout American history is comprised
of immigrants. This country is wholly made up of immigrants and their
descendants, except for the Native Americans. We should be paying a great deal
of respect to the people who immigrate here. Reform is long overdue, but not
just reform. The basic respect and dignity that all people deserve need to be
afforded to people who immigrate here. And our May Day parade here in Los
Angeles is now tens of thousands strong thanks to the labor movement and the
immigrant rights movement recognizing that they are one and the same.

You’ve chosen
music as your medium to further social justice and labor issues, whether it’s
through Rage Against the Machine or as the Nightwatchmen. What’s the connection
between music and these struggles?

There’s never been a successful
social justice struggle without a great soundtrack. From the Civil Rights
Movement to the anti-war movement to the labor movement, songs have been a
great unifier of the working class. Often people of disparate cultural
backgrounds can unite around a love of music, and when it contains a potent
class-conscious message, those songs have been an important part of steeling
the backbone of those involved in labor struggles throughout American history.
I am one more link in that chain – a proud link in that chain that goes from
Joe Hill to Woody Guthrie to Pete Seeger to Lead Belly, Public Enemy, the Clash
and Rage Against the Machine. Music of various genres can put the extra wind in
the sails of people who are standing up for their rights.

What’s your message to Teamsters and workers everywhere
on May Day 2013?

My message to Teamsters and workers
around the globe on May Day is a message of solidarity and pride in the
countless accomplishments, victories, and struggles of workers around the
globe, especially here in the United States. I will continue to stand shoulder
to shoulder with my brothers and sisters on the frontlines of workers’
struggles, social justice struggles, and do it all with a rocking soundtrack.

Mark Torres joined the Teamsters in 1990 when he
became employed at New York University (NYU) in the HVAC department. Now, after
two decades of hard work, he’s the general counsel for New York’s Local 810.

A few years after starting his job at NYU, he became
the shop steward in his department. His business agent with Local 810, based in
Long Island City, N.Y., was among the first to notice Torres’ potential, so he
appointed Torres chief steward where he would assist in grievance processing
and collective bargaining.

“When I first met him, he stood out because he
seemed very intelligent. I knew he’d make a good head steward,” said John
Mascali, Local 810 business agent. “As head steward, Mark did an incredible
job.”

As he continued to work, Torres pursued a higher
education and in 2003, he received a bachelor’s degree, with honors, from NYU.
He then proceeded to law school where he earned his law degree from Fordham Law
School in 2008. Torres earned both of these degrees while working full time,
serving as a shop steward and raising a family.

Shortly after graduating with his law degree, Torres
left his job at NYU to work at Proskauer Rose LLP where he practiced in that
firm’s renowned employee benefits department. Then in 2009, he was offered the
position of General Counsel at Local 810 where he represents the local on all
labor matters and represents the local’s three employee benefit funds.

Torres has a tireless work ethic and is dedicated to
the labor movement. As a former member of the union he now serves as counsel,
Torres relies heavily on his personal life experience to represent the many
members of Local 810.

“Without a doubt, I owe all of my success to my
affiliation with the Teamsters which gave me the job security to allow me to
pursue a higher education and become what I am today. I particularly with the
thank Louis Smith and Michael Smith, along with the rest of Local 810, for
their foresight, tutelage and leadership,” Torres said. “Most of all, I am
eternally greateful that they have put their undying trust in me to represent
thousands of members in the position I have always wanted.”

Torres’ story is a fine example of being part of the
Teamster family.

“He’s really an asset. Our local is lucky to have
him. All Teamsters are lucky to have him on their side,” Mascali said.

“I am an attorney in practice and title, but at
heart I am a Teamster with a law degree and that’s something that I will always
be.”

Texas Blast Recalls Chemical Safety Bill Sunk by Business Lobby Bloomberg ...Guess who fought against a 2009 bill aimed at tightening “security standards of chemical factors, fertilizer depots and water-treatment plants.” None other than “Mining companies, refiners, paint makers, explosive fabricators and fertilizer plants...the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American Farm Bureau...” How Austerity Is Literally Killing People (opinion) Think Progress ...Austerity in the United States and Europe isn’t just placing an unnecessary drag on economic growth that has harmed the global economic recovery from the Great Recession...Banking group says new regulations could push consumers into risky payday loans The Hill ...A leading banking group says tighter guidelines on deposit advance loans could push consumers into higher-risk payday credit...US electricity giant rejects privatization plan Financial Times ...Push-back. President Obama recently floated the notion that it might be time to privatize the TVA. TVA’s Chief Executive says “the authority ‘isn’t broke’ and could fund the investment it needed while staying in the public sector.” TVA’s electricity prices are “significantly below the US average...”Wealth Gap Among Races Has Widened Since Recession New York Times ... Millions of Americans suffered a loss of wealth during the recession and the sluggish recovery that followed. But the last half-decade has proved far worse for black and Hispanic families than for white families, starkly widening the already large gulf in wealth between non-Hispanic white Americans and most minority groups, according to a new study...Bill to end sequester's air travel delays flies through Congress Los Angeles Times ...Lawmakers, among the nation's most frequent fliers, OK a bill allowing the FAA to transfer $253 million to stop furloughs of air traffic controllers...But the sequester could hurt federal tax collections, IRS says Washington Post ...The head of the Internal Revenue Service is warning that the government-wide spending cuts that took effect last month could hurt federal tax collections...Push to Require Online Sales Tax Divides the G.O.P. New York Times ...Legislation that would force Internet retailers to collect sales taxes from their customers has put antitax and small-government activists like Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform and the Heritage Foundation in an unusual position: they’re losing...Sanford, Colbert Busch Campaign Day After Debate Associated Press ...Republican Mark Sanford and Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch planned to hit the campaign trail a day after a spirited debate in their race for a vacant congressional seat along the South Carolina coast. "I rocked it," Colbert Busch said…Citations drop for child work violations in Mass. Boston Globe ...Child-labor laws in Massachusetts were tightened then following on-the-job deaths of several teenagers, including a 16-year-old who was killed after losing control of a golf cart at a Salem country club. But enforcement citations appear to have dropped ...Minimum wage hike goes to Minnesota House for vote Associated Press ....Many Minnesota workers would get a pay hike, extra time to spend with newborns and recently adopted children and more overtime pay in the minimum wage bill that is headed to the House floor.Tax Shuffle Could Shake Up Missouri St. Louis Post-Dispatch ...Missouri’s Republican-led legislature is poised to send Gov. Jay Nixon a bill that would cut the state income tax, especially for small businesses, while raising the sales tax to benefit three legislative priorities…Right-to-work will lower wages and weaken the economy (opinion) Southeast Missourian ...Currently, Missouri Republicans are bent on passing so called "right-to work" legislation. Even though the president pro tem of the Senate said it isn't a priority of the Senate and it faces veto by the governor, they press on while they could be working to modernize our economy...Feds approve New Jersey's plan to spend $1.8 billion in Sandy aid New Jersey Star-Ledger ...The federal government has approved New Jersey's plan to spend more than $1.8 billion in disaster aid, Gov. Chris Christie announced yesterday...Sandy credited for rise in NY construction jobs Crain’s New York ...Thanks, in part, to a boost from post-Sandy work, employment in New York state's construction industry is inching its way back to its pre-recession peak...Art Pope Groups Push Extreme ALEC Tax Agenda in North Carolina PR Watch …An array of right-wing organizations in North Carolina are arguing loudly for Gov. Pat McCrory to radically alter how corporations and people pay taxes in the state -- and the not-so-hidden hand behind the effort is North Carolina millionaire Art Pope, a close ally of the Koch brothers, who funds the groups…Airport Privatization Takes Off in Puerto Rico Truth-Out ...About 17 years ago, lawmakers slipped an obscure section of text into the annual federal aviation bill. In February, the intent of that law was enacted for only the second time when the FAA approved the privatization of Puerto Rico's Luis Munoz Marin International Airport. Numerous elected officials, lawyers and economists have denounced it as a bad bargain...Virginia can block out of state use of FOIA, Supreme Court rules Associated Press ...The Supreme Court ruled Monday that it's legal for a state to limit use of its Freedom of Information Act to its own residents...Marvel filming most of latest 'Captain America' movie in L.A. Los Angeles Times ...Disney-owned Marvel Studios is producing most of 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' in L.A., a region that has seen the steady exodus of big-budget features. Teamsters Local 399, represents the film’s casting directors, location managers and drivers...

Monday, April 29, 2013

The
spire of One World Trade Center was scheduled to be placed atop the
under-construction building, but bad weather forced workers to reschedule.
But that didn’t put a damper on the spirits of thousands of union men and
women, including many Teamsters, who built the 104-floor skyscraper that
replaces the fallen Twin Towers. High winds forced the postponement, but when the spire is in place, the building's official height will be 1,776 feet. One World Trade Center is scheduled to open for business in 2014.More
than 1,200 Teamsters work on the site on any given day, mainly delivering
materials. They have played a big role in the construction of the skyscraper
and in 2011, Teamster
magazine covered the progress. Here are some highlights from that story:

In World War I,
Teamsters taught soldiers to drive trucks when the military was moving from a
cavalry to motorized units. During a polio outbreak in the 1950s, Teamsters
jumped into action to make and deliver vaccinations to the entire American
population. In World War II, Teamsters raised money for war bonds, started
scrap metal and rubber drives to assist the war effort, and more than 125,000
Teamsters served in the military during the war. The union immediately worked
to help families, communities and employers who were devastated by Hurricane
Katrina in 2005.

Sept. 11, 2001, was a
day like no other in our nation’s history, but Teamsters reacted with
characteristic solidarity. Local unions and Joint Councils in the metro areas
of New York City and Washington, D.C. all played a part in the rescue, recovery
and cleanup efforts, and the International Union also took action to make sure
members were protected from the economic fallout and health risks of the
terrorist attacks. Teamsters from across North America donated hundreds of
thousands of dollars to the Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund to help those in
need. Today, Teamsters are working on rebuilding the site.

“I have heard our members
describe their work on the World Trade Center site as an honor,” said Jim
Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “We have never taken on a challenge that we
can’t conquer. The World Trade Center project is a testament to the courage of
our members on the day of the tragedy, and their commitment to the vision the
planners have for making the site a crowning jewel of the nation’s largest
city. As we work side by side with operating engineers, carpenters,
electricians and more, the solidarity and strength of belonging to a union
brotherhood shines ever brighter.”

“Our city suffered a
devastating blow on Sept. 11, but I am so proud to know that our union brothers
and sisters stepped up, dove in and worked to first excavate the site, dig the
foundations for the new structures and now are helping raise the structures up
into the air,” said George Miranda, International Vice President and President
of Joint Council 16…

Teamster members have
not stopped working at the Ground Zero site since the day of the attacks 10
years ago, and they now have a huge part in the rebuilding of the neighborhood.

“I believe the strength
of our union brotherhood has been a good counter-balance to the despair and
pain borne by the families of the victims of Sept. 11,” said Tom Gesauldi,
President of Local 282, which is actively involved in construction at Ground
Zero. “Our members are deeply committed to the rebuilding, or actually, the
rebirth of the World Trade Center. Their commitment began on the first day of
cleanup and continues today.”

“I worked on the
cleanup, the excavation, of this site,” said John Mazzola. “Before my work here
I was a concrete driver for 20 years. On 9/11 I was working on a construction
site nearby.” Mazzola is an on-site steward for Local 282 and coordinates the
deliveries to Towers 2, 3 and 4.

Teamsters also bring
equipment to the site, such as mobile or crawler cranes. Kenny Montoux is a
28-year Teamster who has worked as a crane driver for 16 years. “I started work
here two days after the towers came down,” Montoux said. “The construction here
is a tribute back to New York. Bringing back the glory of what it once was.”

“It’s a shame what
happened here, but I think we are building something beautiful,” said Billy
Petrino, the on-site steward for Tower 3. “My father was a Teamster, too. I’m
glad to be working here.”

The United States Postal Service put Casey Jones on a three-cent stamp.

Next week, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) will celebrate its 150th anniversary at a May 8 event in Detroit. We've been counting down great moments in the history of North America’s oldest union, but April 30 marks a different kind of event—the anniversary of the death of John Luther "Casey" Jones, an American hero and one of the BLET’s most legendary figures.

Jones, an engineer and member of the union’s Division 99 in Water Valley, Miss., sacrificed his own life in 1900 to save his train full of passengers from a horrific crash. There was a stalled freight near Vaughan, Miss., and conditions were wet and foggy. As Jones’ train, No. 382 (the "Cannonball Express"), rounded a bend, the train’s fireman Sim Webb spotted several cars on their train’s track. Brother Jones told Webb to jump, but Jones stayed aboard to try and slow down the train.

Facing certain death, Jones stayed behind the throttle and was able to reduce the speed of his train enough to save many lives--except his own. Reports of the accident state that a bolt or a piece of splintered lumber hit Jones in the throat, leaving him mortally wounded. Crewmen from the other trains carried Jones on a stretcher for half a mile to the depot. There, lying on a baggage wagon, Jones died. While a few passengers were slightly injured, no other deaths resulted from the accident thanks to the bravery and self sacrifice of Casey Jones.The Illinois Central railroad tried to pin the accident on Jones, but others—including his fireman Webb—fought that claim. In the minds of Americans, Jones was a hero, and newspaper reports hailed him as one. "The Ballad of Casey Jones," written by his friend and fellow railroad worker Wallace Sanders, became a folk music standard. It was later re-recorded by such artists as Mississippi John Hurt, Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash. There was also a movie, a television series and even an animated cartoon based on his life.None of these projects resulted in a financial windfall for Jones’ wife and three children. However, they received payments from two union life insurance policies from the Brotherhood's Locomotive Engineers Mutual Life & Accident Insurance Association, and eventually a settlement from Illinois Central. There was no pension, as the Railroad Retirement system was not established until 1937.BLET honors the legacy of Casey Jones as a shining example of the steps its members have and continue to take to keep their passengers, cargo and the public safe. It is this kind of exemplary service we will be celebrating in Detroit next week.

Workers’
Memorial Day was on Sunday and while Teamsters nationwide honored their
fallen co-workers in a variety of ways, other locals are gearing up for their
own events now. Every year the labor movement commemorates Workers’ Memorial
Day as a day to remember those who have suffered and died on the job and to
renew the fight for safe workplaces.

On
Tuesday, April 30, Workers’ Memorial Day will be observed in New York City at
the site where Anthony Nahr, a Teamster parking attendant and member of Local 272, drowned during
Hurricane Sandy. The event will be an opportunity to mourn the loss of Nahr as
well as the many others who lost their lives at work or because of the work
they do, but it will also highlight the continued need for regulations
protecting workers and ensuring that when the workday ends, every worker
returns home safe and healthy.

The
event
will take place from 1-2 p.m. on April 30 at 92 Laight St. (at West St.) in New
York City, 10013. Participants include the New York City Central Labor Council,
the New York Committee for Occupational Safety & Health (NYCOSH), AFL-CIO
and the Greater New York Labor Religion Coalition.

Other
events were held within the last few days, including one event at Teamsters
Local 404 in Springfield, Mass. Here’s more from a story
written on the Massachusetts events:

Union officials and other labor leaders
gathered Thursday to remember fallen police officers, firefighters, soldiers
and others killed in the line of work on Workers’ Memorial Day.

The event is an international day of
mourning for those who have died in the workplace, although some take the
occasion to commemorate the passing of the Occupational Safety and Health Act,
which was approved by Congress in 1970.

Speakers read the names of 41 workers
in Massachusetts who died on the job in 2012 and early 2013. They included
Springfield police officer Kevin Ambrose, a 36-year veteran of the
force who was shot to death in June 2012 while responding to a call for a
domestic disturbance at an apartment on Lawton Street.

Firefighters and fishermen made up a
good part of the list, along with several tree workers. It also included three
members of the armed services who died in Afghanistan.

Report: Hidden overseas accounts quietly rising to surface Washington Post ...The IRS has recouped more than $5.5 billion under a series of programs that offered reduced penalties and no jail time to people who voluntarily disclosed assets they were hiding overseas. In all, more than 39,000 tax cheats have come clean. But there’s more...Bangladesh factory collapse: police detain owners, as death toll exceeds 350 The Observer ...Police in Bangladesh have detained two factory owners for criminal negligence over the deaths of at least 352 workers at an eight-storey building that collapsed on Wednesday – a day after warnings had been given that it was unsafe...Who really pays for our cheap clothes? (opinion) CNN ...The sad fact behind the building collapse in Bangladesh is that it isn't an isolated problem. The story will leave the headlines at the end of this week but today, hundreds of thousands of workers will return to factories that are frankly further tragedies waiting to happen, and will keep producing clothes for high street brands...Bill to boost California minimum wage approved by panel Los Angeles Times ...AB 10, which would give California its first minimum wage increase since 2008, was approved by the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee on a party-line vote...Pa. beer laws add juice to liquor privatization debate Associated Press ...Where you can buy beer in Pennsylvania will be the subject of debate in the coming weeks in the state Senate, pitting profit-seeking businesses against one another and perhaps even against beer drinkers’ wishes...Anti-Worker "Paycheck Protection" Bills Moving in Missouri PR Watch ...Missouri is the latest front in the attack on organized labor with so-called "paycheck protection" bills moving through the legislature, with backing from the usual array of corporate interests. But according to the Washington D.C.-based Economic Policy Institute, the bills primarily disadvantage workers while preserving privileges for corporations...New York City Employee Pension Funds Sue BP Over Gulf Oil Spill Bloomberg News ...New York City pension funds sued BP for at least $39 million in investment losses, saying the oil company failed to disclose the risks and safety issues leading to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico...Primacy of pensions in city bankruptcy may be issue for U.S. court in July Reuters ...A U.S. judge in July could take up the issue of whether a bankrupt city can shield workers' pensions while inflicting heavy losses on bond holders and other creditors, a lawyer for California's pension fund for public employees said on Friday...Moody's, S&P settle lawsuits over debt ratings Associated Press ...King County, WA and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank sued Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Morgan Stanley, accusing “them of hiding risky investments” (this goes back to the mortgage crisis). There has been a settlement; details were not disclosed...Teamsters Urge "Special Pay Issue" Raises For Florida Correctional Officers IBT ...The following is a statement from Teamsters International Vice President Ken Wood recalling a Presidential Proclamation on Correctional Officers issued on May 5, 1984...Teamsters Local Win $5M for Department of Aviation Members IBT ... Teamsters Local 700 has recouped approximately $5 million in lost wages for City of Chicago workers who were sent home early without pay while working snow removal shifts at area airports from 2009-2011...

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Local 25 in Boston reports a packed house at the union hall in Charlestown today as people came in droves to donate blood. The Teamster Horsemen came to lend their support -- as they always are for a good cause!

The blood drive, which benefited the American Red Cross, took place from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 pm.

It's among our first impulses when disaster strikes: the rush to donate blood. Truth is the best time to donate blood is in the weeks or months after a disaster. Boston hospitals treated more than 180 patients after the marathon, making now the time to give blood.

“Giving blood is free and only takes a few minutes but could help to save a life,” said Sean M. O’Brien, president of Local 25. “Saturday’s blood drive is one way we all can help our fellow mankind.”

And if you're wondering, these are the same THUGGS who protected marathon victims' funeral services from disruptions by the Westboro Baptist Church hate group.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Here’s how to argue about Right to Work with people who
think they know what it is.

Tell them (nicely) that they don’t know what Right to Work
really is. Tell them it’s a confusing,
complicated and controversial proposal that damages the working class.

It was cooked up decades ago by greedy billionaires. They
named it Right to Work to fool people into thinking it means more freedom. It
doesn’t. Right to Work means less freedom for workers – much less.

It puts more pressure on struggling working-class families.
It eliminates job security, lowers pay, forces workers from full-time jobs to
part-time, and gives workers less freedom and flexibility to spend time with
their family or do whatever is important to them in life.

Corporate interests want to pass Right to Work so they can
destroy unions that stand up for workers. Getting rid of unions would let them
ship more jobs overseas, continue to rig the tax system in their favor and
demand more work from employees while treating them with less respect.

Right to Work is being pushed in state capitols by ALEC, the
escort service for corporations and state lawmakers. ALEC is supported by CEOs
of multinational corporations who only care about profits and mistreat the
workers that generate them; by the Benedict
Arnold Koch brothers; and by predatory Wall Street banks.

Right to Work has had far-reaching consequences in states
where it has been enacted. It has delivered lower pay for employees and higher
unemployment rates in the states that passed it. And it threatens public safety
by making it harder for nurses, police officers and firefighters to do their
jobs. It guts workplace safety laws and eliminates protections for people who
blow the whistle on threats to public safety.

So tell your misguided friends who think they know what
Right to Work is that it does far more harm than good. It’s a risky, divisive,
unfair and politically motivated attack on the working class.

And here’s a final tip: Don’t be too harsh on the CEOs.
After all, some of them are good employers who create jobs. Be sure to distinguish
them from overpaid and out-of-touch CEOs who care more about their bonuses than
the workers who made their companies profitable.

Workers’
Memorial Day, on Sunday, April 28, is an
international day of remembrance, mourning and action for workers killed,
disabled or injured on the job. With the West,
Texas tragedy followed so closely by the collapse of
an eight-floor building in Bangladesh,
Workers’ Memorial Day has taken on increased significance this year.

The Economic
Policy Institute posted a thoughtful story
about how the two tragedies tie into Workers’
Memorial Day, also called the International
Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured. But their story reminded us why unions
are so essential. At a time when the federal government can’t afford to inspect
every workplace in a timely fashion, most corporations are not going to go out
of their way to make workers’ jobs safer.

Unions are among the only groups actively fighting
for safer work environments, and not just for their members. Unions fight for
safer workplaces for everyone. From the Economic
Policy Institute:

If you think we can
rely on businesses to self-regulate, think again. West Fertilizer, the small
business that blew up and killed fourteen people in Texas last week, declared
itself safe and estimated the chance of a catastrophic explosion at zero. They
needed someone with authority and the power to change behavior to look over
their shoulder, to look out for the workers and first responders who were most
at risk, and to look out for the school children whose schools were within the
blast radius. But no agency had or exercised that authority.

Workers Memorial Day is
Sunday, April 28, and I hope you’ll take a moment to think about the tragedies
in Bangladesh and Texas. Take a moment to think about what kind of a country
you want and which problem you think is more serious, that regulations kill
jobs or that unregulated work kills workers.

Our brothers and sisters at Local 886 in Oklahoma City are mobilizing hundreds of Teamsters to march FOR the middle class and AGAINST ALEC in early May.

ALEC, the billionaire-backed escort service for corporations and state lawmakers, will hold its annual meeting on May 2-3 in the Oklahoma state capitol. Behind closed doors they will plan ways to eradicate the middle class by weakening workers' rights, eliminating consumer and environmental protections, empowering corporations and privatizing education.

Local 886 President Ron Cobb put out the call:

Make plans now to attend the Rally and March against the actions of ALEC. ALEC and its followers directly affect you, Union or not. Bring your family and friends, this will be a great opportunity to support what YOU believe.

They'll begin the march at 4 pm at the Coca-Cola Event Center. It will go through Bricktown, to a rallying point at Cox Convention Center where ALEC is meeting. Speakers will include Harold Schaitburger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighter, state Sen. Connie Johnson and state Reps. Richard Morrissette and Anastasia Pittman. There'll be hot dogs and live music afterward.

If you can't make it, you can sign a pledge here to tell your friends and neighbors about ALEC's attempt to turn your state government over to big corporations. The pledge, along with detailed information about the event, can be found here.

Look carefully at the "paycheck protection" bills passed this week by the Missouri Legislature. You'll see ALEC's fingerprints slathered all over them. These bills are part of the Koch group’s continuing effort to muscle the working class out of politics and government.

The passage of SB 29 and HB 64 threatens to destroy workers' ability to donate to candidates and causes as a group. Employers would be unaffected. If the bills are enacted, unions couldn't make political donations. But guess who could: the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and its powerful friends such as the Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

The legislation is part of ALEC's continuing effort to shift policymaking away from the people and put it in the hands of employers, according to an Economic Policy Institute report released this week, Gordon Lafer, a University of Oregon professor who authored the report, said this about the legislation:

The argument advanced in Missouri and elsewhere is that it will save workers money … and expand workers’ rights. Neither of these bills extend new rights to employees that Missouri law already doesn’t allow.

Professor Lafer said the arguments for this legislation are baseless. For example, the bills state that union workers shouldn’t have to pay dues to support political candidates they oppose. However, union workers already can opt out of paying a portion of their dues allocated for political spending. Meanwhile, corporations can use monies they receive to lobby for whatever cause or candidate they support.

The measures also would require workers to fill out paperwork each year affirming their approval to have part of their dues used for political purposes. Unions, in turn, would have to devote sparse resources toward making sure their members comply with the burdensome law.

Professor Lafer said the legislation would create two different sets of laws, one for workers and another for employers. He said:

It is important to note that ALEC and the Chamber and other organizations have opposed similar obligations being placed on corporations.

Our brothers and sisters in Missouri should contact the office of Gov. Jay Nixon and tell him to veto this deceptive legislation.

New Jersey's Assembly is poised to vote on a bill that would prevent FedEx Ground from illegally misclassifying its workers as independent contractors. Please join the effort to end this abusive practice in the Garden State once and for all. By clicking on this link here, you can send an email to your representative urging him or her to vote for Assembly Bill 1578.

Here's the message the Teamsters are sending to our activists:

On Monday, Assembly members in Trenton will vote on Assembly Bill 1578, legislation that would crack down on employers who illegally misclassify drivers in the motor trucking industry. Under this practice, employers, like FedEx Ground, call their workers independent contractors despite treating them as employees. These misclassified workers are denied basic workplace rights, like protections under OSHA and the Federal Labor Relations Act, and are forced to pay out-of-pocket for all the costs of their jobs, like uniforms and equipment. And, despite being called independent, these drivers even have to ask employers for vacation time.

These bad-acting employers get the best of both worlds; control of abused workers while saving millions of dollars in worker expenses like workers' compensation and unemployment benefits. And when these employers are allowed to cheat, they put law abiding companies at a competitive disadvantage and bring down standards for all workers.

That’s why we need your help – we’re asking all New Jersey Teamsters to contact their Assembly members today and tell them to support Assembly Bill 1578, a bill that would crack down on those employers who are abusing their workers. Join thousands of other Teamsters today and tell your Assembly member to support AB-1578!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Teamsters Local 814 protests Well Fargo in New York City onOct. 20, 2012Wells Fargo had to go into hiding for its annual meeting Tuesday in Salt Lake City because of protests against its predatory lending, illegal foreclosures and disgraceful treatment of the homeowners who paid the taxes that helped bail the bank out.The Salt Lake Tribune reports:

For the first time in about 15 years, banking giant Wells Fargo held its shareholders meeting away from its headquarter city of San Francisco, gathering Tuesday under a heavy security presence at The Grand America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City.

At least two dozen protesters, some carrying signs criticizing bank mortgage policies, marched peacefully outside the hotel under the watch of about a half-dozen police officers, but it was a far different scene than last year’s mass demonstration in San Francisco. Inside, about half-a-dozen people were escorted out of the meeting at one point after directing heated questions at CEO John Stumpf about the bank’s loan modification improprieties and its high-interest lending that disproportionately affect black, Latino and low-income mortgage borrowers...

At one point, several in the audience stood up and started yelling comments at Stumpf. Security guards hustled them from the meeting as a chant arose, "Racist lending is a crime. John Stumpf should be doing time." No arrests were made.

Those attending the meeting were met by metal detectors, handheld security wands and more than a dozen police and other officers. One accompanied a bomb-sniffing dog.

Here's a partial (very partial) list of Wells Fargo's many sins:

... the bank engaged in systematic, large scale alteration of mortgage notes and fabrication of related documents in preparation for foreclosure, the naked capitalist reported.

The bank fired Richard Eggers, a 68-year-old Vietnam veteran, from his $29,795-a-year job for putting a cardboard cutout of a dime in a washing machine in Carlisle, Iowa, on Feb. 2, 1963.

The U.S. Justice Department found that mortgage brokers working with Wells Fargo had charged higher fees and rates to more than 30,000 minority borrowers across the country than they had to white borrowers who posed the same credit risk, according to firedoglake.

The bank recklessly issued mortgages and then lied about their condition to the Federal Housing Administration, a government agency that insured them, the federal prosecutors' complaint said.